Look What The Cat Dragged In
by birdsofpreyfic
Summary: Helena's mission doesn't go according to plan


**LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN**

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Birds Of Prey. They are owned by DC Comics and their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended.

*Author's note: I tried a different format for this story, hope you like it. An Alias episode entitled "The Enemy Walks In" spawned the idea for parts of this story.

* * *

**OUTSIDE OF AN ABANDONED WAREHOUSE**

Helena crouched beside a row of metal barrels as she kept a watchful eye on a group of men. She and Barbara had been tracking them for a few days, waiting for them to assemble in a group so they could find out where their next target was.

"Did you get anything?" Barbara asked through Helena's comm.

"No," Helena whispered back.

"My intel says that tonight's the big night for planning. They must..."

"Shut up!" Helena hissed into her comm. "I'm trying to listen to what they're saying and I can't do that while you're yakking."

"Sorry, I'm just..."

Helena didn't let her finish and turned off her comm device.

She decided to get a little closer to the action and stood up to move towards a truck that was parked near the men, but a sudden stinging feeling in her right shoulder blade stopped her in her tracks.

"What the?!?" she hissed as she tried to reach behind her back to see what caused the sudden pain. Her fingertips felt something metallic and cold and she tried to grasp the foreign object, but a wave of dizziness came over her and she fell to her knees. Putting a hand to the side of her head she closed her eyes and tried to shake it off. She felt her whole body go numb as she pitched forward, falling face-first to the pavement, swallowed up by darkness.

** CLOCK TOWER**

"Dammit, Helena!" Barbara cursed as she slammed her hand down on the table top.

"She did it again, didn't she?" Dinah asked as she took a seat next to Barbara.

"I've told her a hundred times _not_ to turn that comm off when she's out there. It only takes a split second for something to go wrong." Barbara tapped her pen on the table nervously. 

"I'm sure she'll be fine, she always is." Dinah did her best to reassure Barbara but couldn't help but feel a little uneasy herself.

Barbara nibbled at her thumbnail. "I hate to say this, but go out to the warehouse and see if you can find her. Stay along the outside perimeter of the area and you should make it in without a problem. Contact me the second you get there."

Dinah didn't hesitate, she got her comm set ready and flew out of the room.

"Dammit, Helena," Barbara whispered to herself.

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

"Wake up, bitch," a man spat as he threw beer into Helena's face.

Helena's body shook as the cool beer stimulated her senses and awakened her. She opened her eyes and shut them again as they stung from the beer that had run into them. Her reflex action was to bring her hands to her eyes but she found them handcuffed behind her to the back of her wooden chair.

A man stood in front of her. He was bent over slightly with his hands on his knees as he looked straight at her.

Helena was finally able to fully open her eyes and saw the man glaring at her. She attempted to kick him with her foot but like her hands they were bound to the chair by thick rope.

The man waved his finger at her, "Uh uh, don't even think about it." He continued to stare at her, looking her all over.

"You're making me sick, don't you have anywhere else you need to be?" Helena asked with a smug look on her face.

The man chuckled and moved within inches of her face. He grabbed a fistful of her hair at the back of her head, enjoying her struggle. "You're in no position to fuck with me, you nosey bitch."

Helena could see a door behind the man open. A well-muscled man entered the room. 

"Hey! Knock it off!" he yelled as he grabbed the other man and pulled him away from Helena. He smacked the man upside the head and pushed him to the ground, pointing his finger in his face, "What did I tell you? Hands off!"

"I'm sorry, boss," the man said as he cowered and put his hands up in front of him.

"Get outta here before I put a bullet between your eyes!"

The man got up and quickly dashed out of the room.

Helena kept an eye on the man, unsure of what he was going to do to her. "Let me guess, you want me all to yourself and blah, blah, blah."

The man leaned in close to her, "Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart." Backing away, he pulled out a small phone and pressed a few keys. "She's awake." He hung up and tucked the phone back into his pocket. He leaned in close to her again, close enough for her to smell the stale odor of booze on his breath, "There's someone I want you to meet." He took a whiff of her hair and moved away from her.

After a few moments, the door opened again and a woman stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. When she turned around Helena's jaw began falling towards the floor. The woman had the same reaction but did her best to hide it in front of the man standing next to Helena.

"This is the pretty little lady we found snooping around earlier tonight. I don't know why she's been doing what she's doing, I don't know who she works for and I don't know who the hell she is, but I figured I'd leave the interrogating up to you." The man turned to face Helena, "If anyone can make you talk it's her. So a word of advice...just tell her what she wants to know and you'll save yourself a lot of pain." The man smiled and then let out a hearty laugh. The woman laughed along with him.

Helena wasn't paying much attention to their laughter. Too many thoughts and questions were running through her mind.

"Well, I'll leave you two ladies alone. Oh, and, try not to get too much blood on the floor this time." The man smiled and patted the woman on the shoulder before leaving the room.

"Mom," Helena croaked out, trying not to cry.

**OUTSIDE OF AN ABANDONED WAREHOUSE**

"Barbara, I'm here." Dinah said through her comm. "There's no one around."

"Keep heading east, that's where the meeting place was. It should be near an old shack."

Dinah kept walking and saw the shack up ahead. Near the shack was a row of metal barrels. She saw footprints in the dirt, some of which could have been Helena's.

"There's definitely no one around," she said as she surveyed the area. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Because you have every right to," Barbara responded. "Wait! I just tracked her comm, move to your left!" Barbara felt her stomach lurch a little at the thought of Helena lying there hurt or worse...dead.

Dinah slowly moved to her left, unsure of what she was going to find. Then she gasped.

"What?!?"

"Oh no!"

"Talk to me, Dinah!"

Dinah bent down and picked up Helena's comm necklace and held it tight, "I found Helena's necklace but no Helena."

"Dammit!" Barbara cursed. "Look at the ground. Is there any sign of a struggle?"

Dinah took out her flash light and shined it onto the dirt. "The dirt's a little kicked up but it's hard to tell what went on." She panned the light over and quickly stopped when she saw something shine. "Whoa, hello." She bent down and picked up a tranquilizer dart. "I think I found something, a tranquilizer dart."

"Get back here to the lab as fast as you can. We need to work fast!"

"On my way!"

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

"Why?" Helena asked as Selina stood motionless and quiet in front of her. "Answer me!" Helena yelled.

Selina threw a punch at Helena, hitting her in the eye, then she grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look at her. "I don't have time to explain things to you." Helena jerked her head away from her grasp but she snatched it back, "There's a camera in the corner of the room. They can't hear us but they're watching our every move."

"Who's _they_?"

Selina stepped back and hit Helena again, this time in the nose, bloodying it. "Now's not the time to be asking questions."

Helena grunted as her nose stung from the blow. Blood ran into her mouth and she turned her head to spit it on the floor. "Excuse me! Is there a good time to ask why you made me believe you were dead all these years?"

Selina moved in close to Helena and punched her hard in the stomach and then kicked the chair over on it's side.

Helena gasped for air and then began coughing, grimacing as she felt the burn where she'd been hit.

"I have questions of my own," Selina said as she crouched down and pressed her knee against Helena's neck. "Like why you're dressed the way you are. What are you doing spying?" Selina moved her knee away and got up. She righted Helena's chair and watched as Helena's head hung, blood dripping down the front of her shirt.

"What the hell do you care?" Helena seethed.

Selina turned her back on Helena and folded her arms over her chest, "I never stopped loving you."

Helena laughed, "You could have fooled me."

When Selina turned back around she had a gun aimed at Helena. "It's true!"

"What? You're gonna prove you love me by shooting me? Is that it? Go ahead. Do it! Show me how much you love me, mom!"

"Stop it!" Selina screamed as she pulled the trigger and let a bullet fly from the chamber.

** CLOCK TOWER**

Dinah rushed into the room where Barbara was nervously waiting. "Here," she said as she handed the dart to Barbara.

Barbara sped off and placed the dart inside a machine that looked like a microwave. She programmed it and began wringing her hands as she waited for the machine to produce it's results. 

The machine buzzed and she flew to the computer screen. "It's definitely a tranquilizer and Helena's blood is on it. I have a partial fingerprint from the tip. I'm running it for a match right now."

Dinah put her hand on Barbara's back, "We're gonna find her."

"I hope so," Barbara said as she watched the computer search for a match on the fingerprint.

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

Helena whimpered in pain as the bullet lodged itself just a few inches above her knee. She strained against her bonds causing the handcuffs to bite into her wrists.

Selina crouched in front of Helena, "I'm sorry, but it has to be this way. I'm buying you some time."

"Fuck you!" Helena said through gritted teeth.

The words stung Selina's heart. She wanted to make sure Helena was okay, but any display of feelings would cause suspicion. Instead, she stood up and sighed. "This will take away the pain for a little while." With another punch to Helena's face, the chair fell on it's side and Helena lost consciousness.

Selina turned around just as the man entered the room. "What did you get out of her?"

"Not much. She's a tough cookie, I'll give her that much."

"Who's she working for?"

"It appears that she's working alone. From what I can gather it seems like she's one of those latch-on types that befriend people in order to become a part of their group."

"So you think she wanted in on what we're planning?"

"It seems that way."

"What's her name?"

"I couldn't get that out of her. But honestly, I don't think it matters because I don't see her as a threat. As you can see, I beat on her pretty good and she didn't have much to tell me. If she was really _someone_ she would have been a little more cocky with her answers. With the info that she _did_ give me I think it's safe to say she's an amateur."

The man rubbed his chin as he looked at Helena's unconscious and bleeding form lying on the floor. "You think she's worth recruiting?"

"Hard to say without seeing what she can do."

"Tell ya what, get her cleaned up and put her downstairs. I'll figure out a use for her. It'd be a shame to waste such a nice piece of ass like that."

Selina felt her blood begin to boil at his comment but did her best not to show her anger.

The man left the room and Selina went over to Helena, uncuffing her and untying her feet. "I'm sorry," she whispered to her as she began dragging her out of the room.

**CLOCK TOWER**

"Bingo!" Barbara yelled as the computer came up with a fingerprint match.

Dinah came running over, excited by her find, "Who is it?"

"A guy named Gino Vertalino, one of the best bank robbers on the planet. I should have known he'd be the ring leader of this little group. He hasn't pulled a job in years. He must have spent everything he had so he needs to replenish the supply."

"So where do we find this guy?"

"I have a few sources I can talk to but I think I need to call one in particular first." Barbara sped away from Dinah, leaving her to wonder who she was talking about.

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

Helena looked all around the room she was confined in, trying to figure out where she was. Each arm and each leg was tied down to the bed, restricting her movements. Her leg was bandaged and had a little red splotch of blood on it. It hurt like hell and she wondered if they'd bothered to take the bullet out before wrapping it up. Her guess was that they didn't because her leather pants were still intact.

The room was all white except for the steel of the door. The door had a small window towards the top, but she didn't see anyone on the other side of it. There were no windows and nothing on the walls. But what did stand out was the small, gray surveillance camera mounted near the ceiling in the corner of the room. She wished her hands were free so that she could flip off whomever was watching.

Suddenly the door opened and her mother stepped in. Helena could feel her body tense up at the sight of her.

The door shut behind Selina and locked. "Are you okay?"

Helena blew out a breath, "Are we gonna start this little charade again? If so, I'm really not in the mood."

"Look, my boss isn't around and I've played around with the monitoring system so they can't see us. I only have a few minutes to talk but I wanted to explain myself."

Helena bit her bottom lip as a wave of pain flared up in her leg, "I think it's gonna take more than a few minutes to explain yourself."

"I had to pretend that I was dead in order to keep you safe. A lot of people wanted me dead, there's no doubt about that, but if I died then he wouldn't come after you. He'd have no reason to."

Helena knew very well that she was referring to The Joker. "But you were stabbed right in front of me. You were dead."

"I knew one of his men would be coming after me that night. He didn't stab me deep enough to kill me. I took a special drug before we went out that night, one that would stop my heart for a little while. Long enough for people to think I was dead."

"But even me!" Helena shouted.

"You, of all people, had to believe I was dead. If there was any doubt then he'd come after you."

Helena shifted and grimaced a little as she looked away from her mother.

"I'm sorry, Helena."

"So what kind of life are you leading? And why are you still in New Gotham?"

Selina looked at her watch, being careful of the amount of time she'd been in the room, "It's a long story."

"Oh, well, that's a convenient answer."

"I..."

"Save it," Helena spat. "Do you realize what that bastard did to Barbara? Huh?"

Selina lowered her head.

"Let me tell you what he did to her. He showed up at her apartment the same night you were supposedly killed and he shot her, point blank. The bullet severed her spine. She's confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life." Helena resisted the urge to cry. "Instead of pretending you were dead, why didn't you stand up to that asshole? You've certainly stood up to other ruthless men in this godforsaken city. What makes The Joker so different?"

"Because he threatened to kill you as long as I was still breathing!"

"So why aren't you hunting him down rather than beating the shit out of me and shooting me full of holes?"

"I told you, it's a long story." Selina took another look at her watch and quickly looked up at Helena. "I..."

"Who's this boss of yours?" 

Selina glanced over towards the camera to give Helena the hint that the camera was watching them once again. Helena remained quiet and glared at her mother.

The door opened and Gino walked in. "I see our little friend is awake. Have you been here long?" he asked Selina.

"No, just a few minutes. We were just getting to know each other a little better."

Gino chuckled, "Nice." He looked at Helena and moved to the side of her bed. "Are you behaving yourself, unlike yesterday?"

Helena's eyes narrowed as she stayed silent.

Gino placed his hand near the wound in her leg and began to squeeze, causing Helena to cry out in pain. "One thing you should learn," he said as he squeezed harder, this time causing Selina to cringe a little, "when I ask you a question I expect an answer. Got it?"

"Yes," Helena hissed out.

"Good girl," he said as he let go of her leg and patted it. "If you're really good then we'll see about getting that bullet out of your leg." Gino moved past Selina, kissing her on the cheek, "Stay with her for a while and see what else you can get out of her. I'll be back tomorrow morning." He kissed her neck and then left the room.

Selina walked over to the side of Helena's bed, her back to the camera. "I'm only gonna say this once, so listen. He's leaving for Chicago in an hour and is taking his goons with him. There will only be about three guys here but I can take care of them. When he leaves I'm gonna sneak you out of here so be ready."

Helena didn't know what to say so she didn't say anything.

"This is the only opportunity we're going to have so we have to take it."

**CLOCK TOWER**

Barbara made phone calls and emails to everyone she could think of that might have the whereabouts of Gino and his gang. Many didn't even know he had returned so they had no intel to offer.

"Anything yet?" Dinah said as she walked towards Barbara with a bag from McDonald's.

"Nothing," Barbara responded in a disappointed voice.

"Here, eat something." Dinah handed her a cheeseburger and a coke.

"I'm not hungry. Thanks though."

"You have to eat, at least a few bites anyways. Humor me."

Barbara smiled and took the food. "I just can't help but think of what may have happened to her. I don't know what I'd do if..."

"Don't talk like that. We're gonna find her and she's gonna be fine. Someone out there must know where this guy is."

**POLICE STATION**

Reese sat down behind his desk after returning from lunch. Looking over at his phone he could see his message light blinking. He logged into his voicemail and started hearing Barbara's voice: "Detective Reese, it's Barbara. Huntress has been kidnapped and I have very good reason to believe Gino Vertalino is behind it. We need to find him and find him fast if we're going to get to her in time. Please call me back as soon as you get this message."

Reese quickly dialed Barbara's number, his heart racing with each press of the buttons. "Barbara, it's Detective Reese."

"Reese, thanks for getting back to me. Do you have any idea on where we can find Gino? All of the information I have is outdated."

"It may take me a little while but I think I know some guys that worked on a few of his cases."

"How long is a little while? I'm afraid we don't have much time."

"A few hours, tops."

"Call me the second you have something."

"Will do," Reese said before hanging up the phone. "Damn, Huntress. You're always mixed up in some crazy shit," he whispered to himself before running off to find his colleagues.

**UNKNOWN LOCATION**

Helena's sleep was suddenly interrupted by Selina rushing into the room and undoing her bonds.

"Come on, time to go," Selina said as she freed her arms and legs. She pulled Helena up and got her to her feet, ignoring Helena's protest of the movement. "We have no time for pissing and moaning, let's move."

Selina got Helena outside and helped her into the back of a van. After she was settled, Selina climbed into the driver's seat and sped off.

**CLOCK TOWER**

Barbara nervously waited for Reese to call back and nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Barbara, it's Reese. The last time one of my guys heard of Gino being back in New Gotham was a few years ago. He has a hideout way out in the woods on the outskirts of the city."

"Meet me at the coffee shop and I'll pick you up." 

"I'll be there in five minutes."

Barbara couldn't hang up the phone fast enough. "Let's go!"

"Where we going?"

"Not sure exactly, Reese will show us the way."

**VAN**

Selina drove along but kept a watchful eye on her daughter who was lying across the seat in the back. 

"Where are you taking me," Helena asked groggily.

"Home," Selina said.

Helena laughed, "You don't know where I..."

"The clock tower."

Helena looked at her mother, a little surprised she knew where Helena called home.

"He's gonna kill you when he finds out you let me go."

"No he's not because he's going to think you escaped."

"Great, another guy who'll be out for my head," Helena said as she touched her wounded leg.

Selina noticed that Helena was in pain. "When we get to the clock tower I'll give you something for the pain."

Helena clenched her teeth and hoped they'd get to the tower soon.

**GINO'S HIDEOUT**

Barbara, Reese and Dinah arrived at Gino's hideout and questioned the simplicity of their entry. "This was too easy," Reese said. "Something's not right."

"I'll say. Look!" Dinah said as she pointed ahead of them. A man was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Barbara swallowed hard, "This isn't a good sign."

They all got out of the van, Reese kept his gun cocked and ready as they made their way into the house. Another man was lying by a set of stairs. Reese bent down and checked his pulse, finding none. "Looks like someone pushed him down the stairs and he broke his neck."

Reese searched the upstairs and found nothing while Dinah and Barbara searched the main floor, finding nothing as well.

Reese made his way down to the basement and found another dead man lying beside a steel door. He opened it slowly and found only a bed in the middle of the room. The sheets were wrinkled and indicated that someone had been in it. He put his hand on the bed and felt warmth. "The bed's warm. If she was here she was here recently," he said to Dinah who was standing on the stairs.

"Anything?" Barbara shouted to them.

Reese and Dinah walked back up the stairs with defeated looks on their faces. "If she was here she's not anymore," Reese said as he tucked his gun away. "I'll call the boys and have this place swept. We'll find her," he assured them as he walked away.

**CLOCK TOWER**

Selina dragged Helena into the elevator and brought her up to the penthouse. She marveled at the sight of the place as memories came flooding back. 

She laid Helena on the floor near the elevator and took out a syringe full of Morphine. Holding it up, she tapped out the air bubbles and then slid the needle into Helena's arm, emptying it. "Sleep, my baby." She touched Helena's cheek and smiled, a tear falling from her eye. "You're so beautiful."

Helena put her hand over Selina's, "So, you're gonna leave me again, aren't you?"

"It has to be this way, I'm sorry." Selina kissed Helena on the forehead and then got up. 

Helena struggled to get up but the drug began to kick in, rendering her motionless.

Selina got into the elevator and turned away as the doors shut.

* * *

Barbara and Dinah returned to the clock tower after dropping Reese off. They rode the elevator up to the penthouse, silence hung in the air the whole ride up.

When the elevator doors opened, both women gasped at the sight of Helena lying on the floor. 

"Helena!"

Dinah rushed to Helena's side and checked for a pulse, "She's alive."

"Get her into the lab."

Dinah dragged Helena's unconscious form into the lab. Barbara lowered the table in order for Dinah to lie Helena down on it then she raised it slightly to begin a body scan.

A green light scanned over Helena's body. After it finished it turned red and set off an alarm as the light cast a beam over the wound in Helena's leg.

With a glance at the computer screen Barbara could see the problem immediately. "There's a bullet in her leg. Set up the computer over there to get it out while I get some readings."

Dinah quickly went to work. Her heart raced as she tried to focus on the task at hand.

"She's got Morphine in her system," Barbara said with surprise. 

"Why would they shoot her and then give her pain medication?"

"I dunno. We'll have to figure that out later. Are you all set?"

"Yep, go ahead."

Barbara activated the computer and the surgical procedure began.

* * * 

Helena awoke to the touch of Barbara's fingertips on her wrist. "Where am I?" she asked hoarsely.

"You're home," Barbara said, putting Helena's hand back onto the bed. "Dinah and I found you lying by the elevator yesterday afternoon." Barbara touched a few of the cuts and bruises on Helena's face, frowning slightly. She reached over towards the nightstand and grabbed the glass of water, "Here, drink this."

Helena hoisted herself up a bit and slowly drank some of the water as Barbara held onto the glass. "Thanks," she said as she laid back down.

"You alright?" Dinah asked as she took a seat next to Helena's bed.

"Yeah, I think so." Helena looked down at her leg and saw some pillows elevating it and the white bandaging covering up the wound. "Looks like I won't be jumping off any buildings for a while though," Helena laughed.

Barbara smiled but after a few moments she started to get emotional. "You scared us half to death not knowing where you were. Please don't _ever_ shut your comm off like that again."

Helena nodded.

"Do you remember how you got back to the tower?" Dinah asked.

Helena thought about not telling them the truth but then figured it was best to let them know. Hidden secrets had a way of creeping up when you least expected them too. "Um, if I tell you you won't believe it."

Barbara and Dinah looked at her with befuddled looks.

"My...my mother," Helena said before beginning to cry.

"What?!?" Barbara and Dinah said in unison. 

"When I was at the warehouse someone hit me with..."

"A tranquilizer dart," Barbara said as she finished her sentence. "Dinah found it when she went to go find you."

"When I came to, I was in this dark room. They had me tied to a chair. The guy said he wanted me to meet someone and that someone was my mother. When she walked into the room I think my heart stopped."

Barbara's mouth hung open as she listened to Helena.

"They left us alone in the room and she proceeded to beat the shit out of me. Then she shot me. She said she was buying me some time or something. At that point I didn't know what her intentions were, I was so confused by both the pain and the fact that my dead mother isn't really dead."

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're saying that Selina faked her death and is now working with a notorious bank robber?" Barbara's brow creased as she tried to understand.

"She wouldn't give me all the details of what she's doing with these guys. She just told me that she faked her own death because The Joker threatened to kill me if she was still breathing. The whole thing is way messed up."

"Yeah, I'd say. Especially if your own mother shoots you!" Dinah said angrily.

"They had a camera on us in the room. She said she had to make it convincing or else they'd suspect something immediately. She got me out of that place and brought me here. I wanted her to stay but the drugs kicked in so I didn't have the energy to argue."

"Damn," Barbara cursed under her breath.

"I have to find her. Her boss, as she called him, will kill her when he finds out that I'm gone."

"She killed Gino's men. Three of them. Reese found the hideout and took us there. We found their bodies."

Helena closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. 

The phone began to ring in the other room and Barbara wheeled out to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Barbara, it's Reese. Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She just woke up."

"Did she tell you how she made it back home?"

"Yeah, ah, she said she hitched a ride and then limped home." Barbara hoped she sounded convincing.

Reese paused for a moment. "I tell ya, she's a wild one. I wish I had the strength she had sometimes."

"Any leads on who may have killed those men?"

"Nothing. No fingerprints, no clues, no nothing. I can't say that I'm all that upset over it. Those guys weren't your friendly neighbor types."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, I better..."

"Yeah, I'll let you go so you can take care of Huntress. Tell her I was asking about her and I'll see her soon."

"Will do," Barbara said as she hung up the phone, slightly relieved.

Barbara wheeled back into Helena's room and found them watching some game show on TV.

"Was that Reese?" Helena asked.

"Yes. He said the police have nothing to go on as far as those men are concerned."

"It still doesn't change the fact that she killed them."

"Not that I condone what she did, but if she hadn't killed them you might not be here right now." Barbara hated killing but knew that when it came to protecting the ones you love sometimes it was necessary.

"Excuse me for the interruption," Alfred said as he entered the room holding a small, white envelope. "It's good to have you back Ms. Helena."

"Thanks, Alfred."

"I do believe this is for you," he said as he handed the envelope to her. "I found it lying by the door when I went out early this morning."

Helena tore it open and pulled out a handwritten letter. She recognized her mother's penmanship immediately and sniffed some tears away as she began to read it out loud...

_"Dear Helena, _

_I hope this letter finds you well. _

_A mother never wants to see her child hurt and it tore my heart out when I was the one causing your pain. I hope you can some day find it in your heart to forgive me._

_I have my reasons for why I've done the things I've done, some I got to explain to you and others I did not. Most are best left kept silent, for the less you know the better. It's for your own good._

_Please don't try and find me. I've left New Gotham and am not sure whether I will ever return. I have some personal demons to contend with and it's about time I faced them._

_I love you and will always love you, don't you ever forget that. _

_Love,  
Mom"_

Helena began to cry and both Dinah and Barbara hugged her, comforting her as best they could.

THE END


End file.
